The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of editor-activist Gauri Lankesh on Thursday took custody of four men arrested by the Bengaluru city police for allegedly attempting to kill Mysuru-based rationalist thinker Prof. K.S. Bhagavan.
The SIT will have custody of the accused for 11 days. It will be questioning them as they are suspected to have played a role in the murder of Gauri, shot dead outside her house last September.
One of the four is Sujith Kumar alias Praveen, 37, who hails from Shikaripura. SIT sources said he is a key link between the Gauri and the Bhagavan plots.
ADVERTISEMENT
He had recruited Naveen Kumar, now chargesheeted as an accused in the Gauri Lankesh case, in both conspiracies. The other three men have been identified as Manohar Dundappa Edave alias Manoj, 29, from Vijayapura, Karnataka; Amol Kale alias Bhai Saab, 37, from Pune; and Amit Degwekar, 38, from Sindhudurg in Maharashtra. All four had been arrested by the Upparpet police in the third week of May for allegedly plotting to kill Prof. Bhagavan months after Gauri Lankesh was shot dead. The SIT took custody of the men from the Upparpet police on Thursday. Presenting their arguments in court, the SIT claimed that it had evidence indicating their involvement in the Gauri Lankesh case.
However, SIT chief B.K. Singh said that they have been taken into custody for interrogation, and are not shown as accused and arrested in the Gauri case.